Gay sex a sin, says archbishop

SYDNEY — Sydney Archbishop Dr Peter Jensen is spearheading a conservative call within the Anglican Church to declare same-sex practices a sin. He also defended his church's "obsession" with sexuality, according to the February 3 Sydney Morning Herald. Jensen also joined other religious figures in condemning recently introduced British laws recognising civil partnerships between homosexuals.

The worldwide Anglican Church is split on the issue of homosexuality. Jensen has co-signed a letter with 18 Anglican leaders supporting comments by the bishop of Rochester that gay unions were inconsistent with "traditional teachings" on marriage. It is not clear whether those traditional teachings include divorce only at the option of the husband, the use of reasonable physical chastisement of the wife or the husband's traditional exclusive rights to own all marriage assets on divorce.

Dale Mills

From Green Left Weekly, February 8, 2006.

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From GLW issue 655